“Wonderful. Now, where were we?”
He read her several more poems before putting the text aside in favor of less one-sided conversation. As the afternoon rolled by and the sun followed its lazy arc across the sky, he told her all about his childhood, his relatively uneventful upbringing, and even some of the horrible details of his event that led to him becoming the priest that he was today.
“I may have said too much. I hope that wasn’t off-putting,” he said.
“It wasn’t. Don’t worry.”
“It can be a bit much, is all. I’m sorry if I gave you more detail than you wanted to hear. It is just so easy to share with you.”
Ella rested her hand on his arm, his skin warm to the touch. “It’s what makes you who you are, and I want to know all of it. Good and bad.”
“But there was some serious bad.”
“Yeah, I won’t sugar coat it. There was. But that was pivotal in making you who you are today. And it wasn’t all your fault. I hope you can see that. Do you think you can forgive yourself?”
He lay his hand on top of hers, sizing her up with a long stare before nodding his affirmation. “I can, and I have. And it means a lot to me that you feel that way.”
“It’s only natural.”
“For you, perhaps. Not all would be so understanding.” He glanced up at the sky through the tree’s canopy. “It is much later than I realized.”
“Time flies when you’re having fun.”
“It does at that. And I did not finish reading the poems to you.”
“That’s okay. I’m glad I got to hear your stories. But I did enjoy the poetry. You said there’s another volume?”
“There is. I think you’ll enjoy it even more.”
“Lend me the book?”
“I will. But it will be dark soon. We should head back,” he said, quickly packing up their supplies and slipping the bag onto his back.
Ella stretched, letting out an exaggerated sigh. “Well, if you insist.”
“Insist? Never. But strongly suggest, perhaps?” he replied with a chuckle.
“If you put it that way, let’s go, big fella,” she said, glancing at the darkening sky. “You’re right, time kind of slipped by, and we’ve got a bit of a walk ahead of us.”
“That we do. I fear we may get back after dinner service.”
“That’s okay. We had a delightful picnic.”
“We did. But we also want to make sure your body has ample nutrition to fully mend. Come, let us see if we can make it back in time.”
He took her hand, helping her to her feet. Notably, he did not let go.
“Shall we?” he asked.
A flare of heat erupted in her belly, spreading through her entire body. “We shall.”
They walked hand-in-hand, moving slowly, savoring their time away from prying eyes. Time where a little physical contact would not raise concerns or elicit a rebuke from the elders. Theymade the most of it, enjoying the effortless comfort of proximity, Ella even tucking her hand into the crook of his arm, leaning into him as naturally as if they’d always been so intimate.
It was a delightful moment of grace, walking like that with him, but as they rounded the final hill blocking them from sight of the massive compound Draikis tensed, a jolt of harsh, cold energy dousing her comfort as his attentions shifted, and with them a growing concern. “We are nearly there,” he said, gently but firmly placing distance between them. “It is too late for dinner in the hall, but if you are amenable, I will gather for us what I can.”
“But you just said it’s too late.”
“To eat in the dining hall, yes. But I have other options you might enjoy.”
